ARIA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES 2008

Veteran Australian entertainer Rolf Harris MBE, OBE, CBE, AM is to be inducted into this year’s ARIA Hall Of Fame. Famous for quirky Australian songs like “Jake The Peg” and “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport”, and for playing the infamous ‘wobble-board’, this will be Rolf’s second ARIA statue, following his win in 1994 for his cult-classic take on Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven”, which took out the “Best Comedy Release” award. According to the official ARIA press release, Rolf is thrilled to receive the award.“I look up at the shelf in my office and see the ARIA pyramid obelisk which was sent to me back in 1994, on my 64th birthday actually. At that time I was just gearing myself up to do my first Glastonbury Festival, and I was knocked out to get this recognition from the 8th ARIA Awards. It commemorates my win for Best Comedy Release. I think it was my version of ‘Stairway to Heaven’, which changed my whole life by thrusting me back into the awareness of all the University aged youngsters. They suddenly realised they knew all my songs from their childhood, and what’s more, remembered all the words. (Thanks again to Andrew Denton!) Now, 14 years later, I’m being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. I look at all the famous names and am thrilled to be with them, for basically, just enjoying myself through music for the whole of my life. Thank you so much,” he said in a statement from his UK home.Rolf joins other Aussie music icons Max Merritt, The Triffids, Russell Morris and Dragon in being inducted during the July 1 awards ceremony at the Melbourne Town Hall.The main ARIA Awards 2008 ceremony is rumoured to be set for Sunday November 2, once again at Acer Arena in Sydney.